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7/28/2019 Steen, Canaletto, Poussin & Rubens Lead Christies Old Master & British Paintings Evening Sale London, July 2013
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P R E S S R E L E A S E | L O N D O N
F O R I M M E D I A T E R E L E A S E : T U E S D A Y , 1 1 J U N E 2 0 1 3 Steen, Canaletto, Poussin & Rubens Lead
ChristiesOld Master & British Paintings Evening SaleLondon, July 2013
London Christies Old Master & British Paintings Evening Sale in London on Tuesday 2 July 2013 presents
international collectors with 52 works from some of the categorys most sought-after artists and genres, many
with distinguished provenance and some offered for the first time in centuries. With estimates ranging from30,000 up to 10 million, the sale is expected to realise in excess of 30 million.
The remarkable variety and quality of the works in this sale reflects the diversity of the Old Master field and
collectors sustained and growing interest in acquiring works of the highest calibre. Highlights range from a rich
large-scale interior scene by the Dutch Golden Age master Jan Steen (1626-1679),Easy Come, Easy Go:the artist
eating oysters in an interior (estimate: 7-10 million, illustrated above) and a glittering view of Venice byCanaletto
(1697-1768)painted at the height of his powers, The Molo, Venice, from the Bacino di San Marco (estimate: 4-6
million), to one of the earliest independent still-lifes in the history of Western art by Ludger tom Ring II
(1522-1584), Narcissi, calamine violets and periwinkles in a ewer, on a ledge with a sprig of rue (estimate: 500,000-
800,000). In addition to a head study painted ad vivumbySir Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), Head of a bearded
man in profile holding a bronze figure (estimate: 1.5-2.5 million), further highlights include Nicolas Poussins
(1594-1665) heroic portrayal of Hannibal crossing the Alps on an Elephant (estimate: 3-5 million), as well as an
elegant half-length Portrait of Emily, Lady BerkeleybySir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) (estimate: 400,000-
600,000).
JAN STEEN
Acquired by the 1st Earl of Lonsdale in 1763, it is exactly 250 years since Easy Come, Easy Go: the artist eating
oysters in an interiorbyJan Steen (1626-1679) last appeared on the art market (estimate: 7-10 million). A work of
exceptional quality and inventiveness, it has long been regarded as one of Steens masterpieces and can nowbe
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considered the most important large-scale genre scene by the artist still to remain in private hands. Painted in
1660 at the pinnacle of Steens career, the picture reveals his mastery of composition and his supreme skill at
rendering light, texture and detail. Beautifully preserved and executed in the artists most refined manner, the
picture delivers a powerful moral message that is a testimony to Jan Steens genius as a narrator of genre
subjects. Steen depicts himself as the central protagonist, eating oysters at a table in an elaborate interior. The
key to the pictures message is given by the allegorical programme of the elaborately carved chimneypiece, in
which a personification of Fortuna stands between symbols of wealth and good fortune on the right, and
poverty and bad luck on the left. Steen cautions that what is gained can just as easily be lost depending on thewinds of chance. Casting himself as the decadent wastrel, he warns that over-indulgence and greed will lead
inescapably to ruin, a message as pertinent today as it was in 17 th-century Holland.
CANALETTO
Executed at the height of Canalettos (1697-1768) powers
in the 1730s,The Molo, Venice, from the Bacino di San Marco is a
beautifully preserved masterpiece from the artists famous
sequence of views of the Molo from the Bacino, showing
the greatest religious and secular monuments at the heart of
Venice (estimate: 4-6 million, illustrated right). Bathed in a
clear, luminous light, the celebrated buildings are
meticulously described and are skillfully enlivened by the
hustle and bustle of the boats and figures in the foreground.
The observation of the figures is, as always with Canaletto, acute: the standing boatman in the large vessel on the
far left is shown pulling back, straining his oar in an effort to avoid colliding with the smaller sandolo passing in
front. This exceptional canvas one of the largest of this type of composition was supplied to Edward
Howard, 9th Duke of Norfolk (1686-1777), who was a major British artistic patron of the day; it passed by
descent in the family until the 1970s.
A further notable depiction of Venice is View of San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice with the Punta del Giudecca by
Francesco Guardi (1712-1793), which shows the island monastery with its celebrated faade designed by
Andrea Palladio, in afternoon light (estimate: 400,000-600,000). From another Venetian artist of the time,
Bernardo Bellotto (1721-1780), is an Architectural capricciowhich wasconceived in Dresden, during the artists
second period of residence there from 1761 until the winter of 1766-1767 (estimate: 800,000-1,200,000).
POUSSIN
Hannibal crossing the Alps on an Elephant by Nicolas Poussin (1594-
1665) is a striking and unconventional image of Hannibal, thelegendary Carthaginian general, leading an historic invasion of Italy on
the back of a war elephant (estimate: 3-5 million, illustrated below). It is
one of the earliest masterpieces executed by Poussin after his arrival in
Rome in the mid-1620s. A rarely illustrated episode of Ancient Roman
history recounted by Livy, it depicts the military strategist and hero of
the Second Punic War astride the great Asian beast, directing the
massing troops on the long journey from Iberia, over the Pyrenees
and the Alps, into northern Italy. Hannibal dominates the massive beast as he would soon dominate a conquered
Empire and much of the western world: posture erect, arm outstretched toward his inevitable goal. The picture
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was acquired immediately after its execution by Cassiano dal Pozzo (1588-1657) - the man who would become
Poussins most loyal and enlightened patron and a scholar and intellectual with a life-long interest in antiquity
and the natural sciences, who worked for the Barberini Pope Urban VIII. Cassiano dal Pozzo may have coveted
this work as a depiction of one of the ancient worlds defining historical events and an accurate rendering of one
of natures most impressive and mighty exotic animals. But Poussin would also have known that such a patron -
as both a privileged member of one of the most forceful courts in Europe and an acolyte of the rapacious
Barberini pope - would not have failed to appreciate his composition as an iconic image of charismatic
leadership and ruthless power.
RUBENS
Head of a bearded man in profile holding a bronze figure is an impressive, vigorously
executed and characterful head study bySir Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), which
throws light on Rubenss creative method during a busy period in his career, after he
had returned from Italy and established his pre-eminence in Antwerp (estimate: 1.5-
2.5 million). It reveals a fascinating aspect of Antwerps cultural attitudes, as it was
later enlarged on three-sides by Jan Boeckhorst (1605-1668), one of Rubenss most
intriguing early followers, and one of the citys leading artists following the deaths of
Rubens and Sir Anthony van Dyck, in 1640 and 1641, respectively.
Head of a bearded man in profile is one of the spontaneous, rapid studies painted by
Rubens ad vivumfrom a model in the studio, to record a particular face - often from multiple angles for use in
larger, multi-figural compositions. It is a study for one of the kings in Rubenss monumentalAdoration of the Kings
painted in 1616/7 for the Church of Saint John in Mechelen. The panel is recorded, since at least 1719, as
belonging to the German princely house of Schnborn - a name long associated with one of the greatest
cumulative contributions to the cultural landscape of Germany since the High Renaissance.
STILL-LIFE PAINTING
The strong offering of still-life paintings is led byNarcissi, calamine violets and periwinkles in a ewer,
on a ledge with a sprig of ruebyLudger tom Ring II (1522-1584) (estimate: 500,000-800,000,
illustrated below). This supremely elegant picture is one of the earliest independent still-lifes in the
history of Western art. Born into a dynasty of German artists from Mnster, Ludger tom Ring
specialised in portraits and floral still-lifes, a genre in which he achieved unparalleled mastery,
decades before the Dutch and Flemish painters of the Golden Age popularised it. In this panel,
a simple, minimalistic arrangement of crisply designed narcissi and violets, set in an elaborate
ewer bearing the artists signature, stands out against a dark background. The resulting stark
contrast of patterns and colours prove strikingly modern. The artists surviving oeuvre is
extremely small, making this picture an absolute rarity.
The cross category appeal of the best still-life paintings was made evident in the July
2012 sale when the works by Coorte drew widespread interest from new and established
collectors. This season, highlights by the best known names in 17 th-century still-life
paintings are led byTulips, roses, bluebells, Narcissus tortuosis, forget-me-nots, lily of the valley and
cyclamen byAmbrosius Bosschaert I (1573-1621) who emerged as a pioneer in the
genre of the flower still-life (estimate: 700,000-1,000,000, illustrated right). The skill of
Jan Davidsz. de Heem, a leading still-life painter of the Golden Age, is exemplified byA
7/28/2019 Steen, Canaletto, Poussin & Rubens Lead Christies Old Master & British Paintings Evening Sale London, July 2013
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tulip, roses and other flowers in a glass vase (estimate: 500,000-800,000). Further examples range fromA leg of ham, a
partly sliced lemon and slices of bread on pewter platterdated 1655, which is characteristic ofWillem Claesz. Hedas
(1594-1680) finest breakfast pieces (estimate: 400,000-600,000), to a superbly restrained depiction ofQuinces and
medlarson a ledgeby Jan Jansz. van de Velde (1619/20-1662), one of the most striking talents in still-life painting
of the 17th century (estimate: 250,000-350,000).
NORTHERN RENAISSANCE ART
Two important works by Lucas Cranach the Elder are presented. Portrait of Albrecht von
Brandenburg as Saint Jerome in a landscapebyLucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553) is an
icon of Northern Renaissance art(estimate: 1.5-2 million, illustrated left). The picture is
rare surviving evidence of the relationship between Albrecht von Brandenburg, the
supreme Catholic dignitary in Germany in the early decades of the 16 th century, and
Lucas Cranach the Elder, an artist often described as Martin Luthers foremost
propagandist. The story of this portrait brings together three titans of the Reformation
whose inextricably entwined destinies shaped this period of European history. This
painting is the only one of four surviving portraits of Albrecht in the guise of Saint
Jerome painted by Cranach, to remain in private hands. Providing another rare opportunity, Christ on the Crossis a
unique, intimate depiction of this subject by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553) (estimate: 500,000-
800,000). This poignant work seamlessly blends extreme pictorial refinement with a heightened sense of pathos.
EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY MASTERS
British paintings include a remarkably subtle half-length Portrait of Emily, Lady Berkeley,
which is an exceptional example of Sir Thomas Lawrences (1769-1830) early work
(estimate: 400,000-600,000). Emily, Lady Berkeley, was the second of the three daughters
of Lord George Lennox, the younger son of Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond,
whose father the 1st Duke was the illegitimate son of King Charles II. This vivacious and
alluring portrait epitomises the qualities of the extraordinary artistic vision that
underpinned Lawrences meteoric career and established him as the natural heir to Sir
Joshua Reynolds and the dominant force in British portraiture. Further examples include a pair of works by
Joseph Wright of Derby (1734-1797):A view of Dovedale, DerbyshireandA view of the Convent of San Cosimato and
part of the Claudian Aqueduct near Vicovaro in the Roman Campagna (estimate: 500,000-800,000). They were
commissioned in 1786 by the artists great friend and patron, the Reverend Thomas Gisborne, to express the
notion that the sublime might be found equally in the English and Italian countryside.
A group of 18th-century French works are led by a joyful scene of countryside delights La Cueillette des Cerises, one
of the most enchanting late creations byFranois Boucher (1703-1770)(estimate: 300,000-500,000).A furtherwork by the great master of French rococo painting is La petite fermiere, 1769 (estimate: 250,000-350,000). The
other French works of the period comprise an intimately sized, jewel-like cabinet picture La SurprisebyJean-
Honor Fragonard (1732-1806) (estimate: 120,000-180,000) and a seductive highly finished work La Lettre
(estimate: 120,000-180,000) byLouis-Leopold Boilly (1761-1845).
Please clickhereto view the full e-catalogue online.
# # #Images available on request
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